Steam engine



July 5, 1960 C. C. WILLIAMS STEAM ENGINE Filed June 8. 1959 m /:\V//////////\//////J INVENTO CALVIN O. WILLIA MHM ATTORNEY novel steam engine.

United States Patent Calvin C. Williams, Road, R 1 1, Hatfield, Pa.

Filed June 8, 1959,56. No. 818,893 1 8Claims.'(CELINE-162),.

v The present invention relates to; a? steam engine},,and more particularly to a steam engine in which thecompression pressureis maintained equal to the operating pressure of the steam.

ing pressure of the steamfentering the cylinder. Thus,.

the steam immediately acts on the piston to force the piston away from the head of the cylinder. Since the steam pressure acts immediately on the piston, there is provideda smoothly running engine operating at maximum efficiency. Furthermore, by having the compression pressure of the engine the same as the operating pressure of the steam, the pressures on the opposite sides of the steam feed valve will be equal when the valve is ready to be opened. Thus, there is provided a balanced steam feed valve which requires only a minimum force to open. If the steam operating pressure is maintained constant the clearancepspace between the piston at its top dead center position and the cylinder head can be designed to provide a compression pressure equal to the steam operating pressure. However, it is often desirable tovary the steam operating pressure by means of a throttle valve in the'steam line to vary the operating speed of themgine. Therefore, it is desirable to have a steam engine in which the compressionwpressure .will bethe same as the steam operating pressure even if the steam 'operab ing pressure is varied. a I 7 j It is an object "of the present inventionto provide a It is another object of the present invention to provide a steam engine in which the compression pressure is maintained the same as'the steamoperating pressure. a

- part of a cylinder of the. steam engineer the present in-.

p ice j vention. V

Referring to the drawing, the steam engine of the present invention is generally designated as 10. Steam engine 10 is aunifiow type steam engine.

flange 14 extending radially therefrom adjacent the top end of the cylinder 12. Cylinder 12 has a sleeve 16 lining the inner surface of the cylinder '12. A spacer plate 18 is secured within the top end of the sleeve 16. A piston20 iswithin the cylinder 12, and slidably coacts with the inner surface of the sleeve 16. A cylinderhead 22 is secured across the top end of the cylinder 12 and the flange 14. e 7

Flange -14 has a' passageway 24 extending radially therethrough adjacent the top end of the flange 14. Passageway 24 extends through the flange 14 to a hole 26 in the sleeve 16. V A plug 28 is secured in the outer end of the passageway 24; Plug 28 is tightly secured to the flange 14 by' a weldment 30. Flange 14 has a passage-v way 32 extending longitudinally from the top end of the flange '14. Passageway 32 extends into and across the radial passageway 24. An annular valve seat 34 is secured in a groove 36 around the-top end of the passageway 32. A steam feed valve 38 is seated on the valve seat 34. Valve 38 has a valve stem 40 which extends longitudinally through the passageway 32, and through a socket 42 in the flange 14. Socket 42 contains a plurality of packing rings 44 which surround the valve stem 40, and which are heldin place in the socket 42 by washers 46. Spacer plate =18 has a groove 48 in its inner face, which groove 48 extends to the hole 26 in the sleeve 16. Groove 48 provides a passageway from the hole 26 in the sleeve 16 to the inside of the cylinder 12..

Cylinder head 22 has a steam chamber 50 therein, and a passageway 52 extending from the steam chamber 50 to the steam feed valve 38. A steam inlet hole 53 extends through the cylinder head 22 to the steam cham- -It is still another object of the present invention to provide a steam engine in which thecompression pres-' it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to theprecise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. l I L The single figure is a sectidnatview through the top her 50. A cap 54 extends across the top'of the steam chamber '50, and is secured to the cylinder head 22. Cap 54 is sealed to the cylinder head 22 by gaskets 56. The cylinder head 22 is sealed to the cylinder 12 by gaskets 58 and 60 which are compressed between the bottom surface of the cylinder head 22 and the top surface of the flange 14 and cylinder 12 respectively. Gasket 58 surrounds the periphery of the valve seat 34 and gasket 60 surrounds the periphery of the spacer plate 18.

Spacer plate 18 has a central hole 62 therethroughwhich is in alignment with a hole 64 through the cylin der head 22. tends from the bottom surface of the cylinder head 22' to the steam chamber 50. A sleeve 66 extends through and is secured in the aligned holes'62 and 64. A' relief valve 68 .is supported within the' sleeve 66. Relief valve 68 comprises a valve head 70which seats against'the top end of the sleeve '66, and'a valve stem 72 which is slidably supported in the sleeve .66. Valve stem 72 has a reduced diameter portion 74 adjacent the valve head 70. A passageway 76 extends longitudinally through the cen ter of the valve stem 72 from the bottom end of the valve stem 72; I Passageway 76 is in communication with the space around the reduced diameterportion 74 of the valve stem 72 through radial holes 78 in the reduced diameter portion 74 of the valve stem 72. A guide pin 79 is secured to the inner surface of the cap 54 in align-.

team engine 10'comprises a cylinder 12 having a Q The hole 64 in the cylinder head 22 exo stem 72 from falling into the cylinder 12 in the event manner. The stem 40 of the steam feed valve 38 extendsto a conventional rocker arm assembly, not shown, which actuates the valve stem 40 to open the steam feed valve 38 when thepiston 20 reaches the top of its stroke.

The steam engine of the present invention operates as follows:

As shown in the figure, the piston 20 is at its top dead center position. The clearance volume of the piston 20, which includes the volume of the groove 48 in the plate 18 and the volume of the passageways 24 and. 32 in the flange 14, is designed to provide. a compression pressure which is equal to the maximum operating pressure of the steam. The maximum operating pressure of the steam may be equal to the pressure of the boiler which is supplying the steam to the steam chamber 50 through the inlet opening 53. The steam operating pressure is the pressure of the steam within the steam chamber 50 and the passageway 52 in the cylinder head 22.

When the engine 10 is operating under the maximum steam operating pressure, the compression pressure will be equal to the steam operating pressure. Since the steam operating pressure is applied to the top of the steam feed valve 38 through the passageway 52, and the compression pressure is applied to the bottom of the steam feed valve 38, a balanced feed steam valve is obtained. Thus, the feed steam valve 38 can be opened with a minimum force. However, if the steam operating pressure is reduced, such as by a throttle valve in the line between the boiler and the steam chamber 50, as the piston 20 moves upwardly through its compression stroke, the compression pressure will reach a point where it is greater than the steam operating pressure. Since the compression pressure is acting on the bottom of the regulating valve head 70 through the passageway 76 and the holes 78 in the regulating valve stem 72, and the steam operating pressure is acting on the top of the regulating valve head 70, when the compression pressure becomes greater than the steam operating pressure, the regulating valve 68 will open up. When the regulating valve 68 opens up, the compressed gases in the cylinder 12 will flow into the steam chamber50, and thereby reduce the compression pressure until the compression pressure is again equal to the steam operating pressure. Thus, the regulating valve 68 maintains the compressionpressure equal to the steam operating pressure to allow the engine 10 to run smoothly at a maximum efiiciency. Since the regulating valve 68 maintains the compression pressure equal to the steam operating pressure, the steam feed valve 38 is maintained balanced.

Thus, the steam feed valve 38 will not inadvertently open up when the steam operating pressure is reduced below the maximum compression pressure.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essencylinder, a steam feed valve within said communication.

4 means for controlling the flow of steam to said cylinder, and means between said cylinder and said steam chamber for maintaining the compression pressure of the engine equal to the steam operating pressure in said steam chamber.

2. A steam engine in accordance with claim 1 in which the means for maintaining the compression pressure of the engine equal to the steam operating pressure in the steam chamber comprises. a passageway between the cylinder and said steam chamber, and a relief valve in said passageway. r

3. A steam engine comprising a cylinder, a flange extending radially outwardly from saidcylinder adjacent the top end of said cylinder, a piston slidably disposed within said cylinder, a cylinder head secured across the top end of said cylinder and said flange, a passageway through said flange extending from the inner surface of said cylinder to the top surface of said flange, a steam chamber in said cylinder head, said steam chamber being in communication with the passageway in said flange, a

steam feedvalve within said passageway'forcontrolling the flow of steam from said steam chamber to saidcylinder, and means between said cylinder and said steam chamber for maintaining the compression pressure equal tothe steam operating pressure in said steam chamber. 4. A steam engine in accordance with claim 3 in which the means for maintaining the compression pressure of the engine equal to the steam operating pressure in the steam chamber comprises a hole through said cylinder head between said steam chamber and said cylinder, and a relief valve in said hole, said relief valve being normally closed and being. opened when the compression pressure of said engine becomes greater than the steam operating pressure in said steam chamber.

5. A steam engine in accordance with claim 4' in which said relief valve includes a valve head seated on the top edge of the hole in the cylinder head, the bottom of said valve head being in communication with the pressure in the cylinder and the top of said valve head being Within said steam chamber, and spring means normally holding the valve head against the top edge of the hole.

6. A steam engine comprising a cylinder, a piston slidably disposed within said cylinder, 21 plate secured within the top end of said cylinder, a cylinder head secured across the top end of said cylinder, a steam chamber Within said cylinder head, means providing cominunication between said steam chamber and said cylinder to permit flow of steam from said steam chamber to said cylinder, a steam feed valve within said communication nieans controlling the flow of steam to said cylinder, said plate having a central hole therethrough, said cylinder head having a hole therethrough extending between the steam chamber and the hole in said plate, andv a relief valve in said holes in the plate and cylinder head, said relief valve being normally closed and being opened when the compression pressure of said engine becomes greater than the operating of the steam in said steam chamber.

7. A steam engine in accordance with claim 6 in which the relief valve includes a sleeve extending through and secured in the holes in the plate and the cylinder head, a valve head seated in the top end of said sleeve, a valve stem extending from said valve head through said sleeve, said valve stem being slidably supported within said sleeve, said valve stem having a reduced diameter portion adjacent said valve head and a passageway therethrough extending from the bottom end of the valve stem to the space around the reduced diameter portion of the valve. stem, and spring means normally holding said valve head seated in the top end of said sleeve.

8. A steam engine in accordance with claim 6 in which the cylinder has. flange extending radially outwardly therefrom adjacent the top end of the cylinder, and, the means providing, communication between the, steam chamber and the cylinder comgrising a passageway extending through said flange from the inner surface of the cylinder to the top surface of the flange, and a passage way through the cylinder head from the steam chamber to the passageway in said flange, and the steam feed valve includes a valve head seated in the end of the passageway in said flange at the top surface of said UNITED STATES PATENTS Lenderman Bed. 27, 1904 Knapp July 27, 1915 Nerdberg Oct. 19, 1915 

